


Til the End of the World

by Jordswriteswords



Series: A Series of Unavoidable Prompts [1]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Best Friends, F/F, Fluff, Growing Up, Growing Up Together, Light Angst, More angst than I originally thought, Oblivious Clarke, Oblivious Lexa, Short & Sweet, Short Story, Their own special spot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-09
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2019-04-20 18:55:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14267439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jordswriteswords/pseuds/Jordswriteswords
Summary: Childhood best friends Clarke and Lexa travel to then end of the world together, but not in the way that you think.ORClarke loves Lexa, and Lexa loves Clarke, but neither of them know what that means.





	1. Chapter 1

THE BEGINNING:

"Its close. Just a few more steps," she said, breathless and face red from exertion.

"Clarke, you've been saying that for hours!" Lexa panted. Her long brown hair danced around her head as she trudged up the side of what felt like the largest mountain in existence.

"Nuh-uh! It's only been like..." She glanced down at the over-sized watch on her wrist -- a gift from her father before he left to 'fight the good fight. "...like eleven minutes.... I think." Her nose scrunched up as she counted the dashes along the frame of the watch, only having learned to tell time in school a few weeks ago. "Besides, we're almost there and you're gonna love it. Daddy showed it to me 'fore he left. He said it was his favourite spot and I should come here if I miss him."

"So how come you're showing me?" Lexa questioned.

"Duh! You're my best friend," Clarke responded, reaching back to wrap her fingers around her best friend's hand. "And," she exclaimed excitedly, tugging Lexa up the hill, "I love you!"

Lexa's eyes lit up at the words and she squeezed her best friend's hand in her own. "You do?"

"Yuh-huh," Clarke said with a nod. Her blonde curls fell into her eyes as the six-year-old gave her best friend a shy smile with her front teeth missing. "Daddy said 'fore he left that it's okay to love you in any capaci-capri-capacasity.” Clarke furrowed her brow in frustration at the word. She huffed out a breath and then suddenly smiled, remembering what else her father told her. “He said he loves you too!"

"I love you too! And Jake!" Lexa responded excitedly. Aside from her Pa, Gus, she had no one else that loved her but Clarke and her dad, Jake. Abby didn't like her too much, but Jake always treated Lexa like she was special, and she loved him just as much as her own father; and Clarke... well, she would follow her anywhere.

"When are we gonna get there?" Lexa huffed again.

Clarke giggled and tugged her exhausted friend along with nothing but a, "soon."

After what felt like another hour, but was really three minutes, the smell of salt in the air filtered through the trees. Hand in hand, the blonde and her brown-haired best friend sprinted the last few metres past the brush, stopping just short of a gravel covered ledge, and gaped at the expansive ocean that lay completely untouched until the horizon.

"Wow," Lexa breathed. It truly was beautiful. 

"Yeah!" Clarke said excitedly. "It's the end of the world! See? It's right there!"

"Its not the end of the world!" Lexa rolled her eyes. 

"Yuh-huh! Daddy said so, too, and he's super smart!" Clarke said, her smile never falling from her face. Lexa smiled at her friend. She knew that it wasn't in fact the end of the world, the teachers at school already taught them that the world is a giant ball, but Lexa knew that her best friend was still only six and not seven like her, so she didn't argue the point. And if Jake thought that too, then maybe her teachers were wrong this whole time.

"I brought you to the end of the world," Clarke offered with a shrug and slight pink tint if her cheeks. "It'll be just for us."

"Really?" Lexa asked with widening eyes.

"Yuh-huh, you're my best friend. I don't wanna share this with no one else."

Lexa smiled so brightly at Clarke that her cheeks hurt. She pulled her down to sit at the edge with her feet dangling off the cliff, never once releasing her grip on her hand.

***

"You're late," Clarke chided.

"I'm sorry!" Lexa exclaimed, collapsing next to her best friend in a heap. She was exhausted from running as fast as she could all the way up the hill. "We've been coming here for a year and I've never been late."

"Exactly. We've been coming here for a year and you've never been late. Why are you late?" Clarke questioned, arms folded across her chest in faux-irritation.

"I had to help Pa with the tractor. It wouldn't start again and he said his hands were too big to get inside the engine," Lexa responded with an eye roll.

"So why do you have to help him?"

"Cuz Pa’s hands were too big and mine were just right," Lexa replied sarcastically.

"Whatever," Clarke said, annoyance still lingering. "I got a letter from Daddy today," she continued, her shoulders sagging a little.

"What's it say? When is he coming back?" Lexa asked excitedly.

Clarke just shook her head and fiddled with her fingers as she looked down, her shoulders slumping further.

"Doesn't say. He says he misses us and that he loves us. He said he really liked your drawing of you and me at the end of the world. He said he's probably gonna be gone for a while longer, but when he comes back he's taking us to the park and buying us all the ice cream we can eat!"

The weight of Clarke's fathers absence pressed heavily in the hearts of both girls. Abby had become cold, distant and bitter without Jake around.

Lexa knew Clarke was trying to pretend that she was happy, but it was futile. She wrapped her arm around Clarke's shoulder and pulled her into a warm hug. Clarke leaned her head down and sniffled into the crook of Lexa's neck.

"I miss him," Clarke said.

"I know. Me too. But it's okay. You always got me 'til the end of the world."

Clarke squeezed Lexa's waist and murmured into her best friend's neck, "'til the end of the world."

***

"Oh, thank God!" Clarke cried as soon as she saw a seated Lexa by the cliff. The sun was still rising when Clarke called Lexa over their walkie talkies, demanding that she meet her at the end of the world. Lexa, still slightly hazy from her sleep, rushed out if the house in her footie pajamas, her hair a tangled mess of braids above her head.

Clarke plunked down on her lap and buried her head in her friend's chest. Lexa's arms instantly encircled her waist, holding her tightly against her as Clarke caught her breath. She had very obviously run here if the heavy panting and slight sheen if sweat said anything.

After a few minutes, Clarke finally pulled back and looked her friend in the eyes.

"I'm so mad!" she whispered, her lip trembling.

Lexa stroked her hair and whispered softly, warm words as her friend sobbed quietly.

"I'm sorry," Lexa finally said once the sobs turned to whimpers.

"I hate her! I'm so mad!" she said again.

"You'll be okay. It'll be okay, I promise," Lexa soothed. "Have you talked to Jake about it?"

"Yeah, I sent him a letter a week ago when it happened and I got it back yesterday. He said I didn't have to kiss anyone I don't wanna. He said anyone I do wanna kiss is gonna be a lucky person, but I don't have to kiss any boys if I don't wanna."

"Did you say that to your mom?"

Clarke shot Lexa an incredulous look. "God, I wish I hadn't. She said I'm a woman now, so I need to start acting like it! She said that I shouldn't be playing with you in the mud anymore and I should be focusing on making friends with those icky boys in our class. She made me hang out with Bellamy last week and he's so gross!"

Lexa let out a huge sigh. She had gone through this the year prior, and her Pa, the only family she had, turned as pale as a ghost and took her to the store to buy whatever supplies she thought she needed. The whole horrifying ordeal was capped off by her having to speak with the pimply faced clerk and get her to assist her with the difference between the super absorbency and regular. Other than that, though, things were normal. Lexa still helped her Pa around the farm, and he never told her that she had to kiss anyone, thank God.

"I uhh..." Lexa felt at a loss of words. Her throat grew tight as the thought of Clarke's mother not allowing them to be friends anymore because they got their periods made Lexa mad. It was asinine at best, to restrict your daughter's friends because of a biological function.

"I don't wanna kiss boys!" Clarke exclaimed. "I don't wanna be with boys, I don't wanna kiss them, I don't wanna hold their hands, I don't wanna do none of that!" The tears pushed themselves out of her eyes before she could stop them, the panic of losing her best friend squeezing down on her heart.

"I don't wanna be a 'woman' if that means I can't be your friend. I just wanna run away. I just wanna be with you."

Lexa's heart hiccupped at her best friend's confession.

"But then you're not gonna have anyone to kiss," Lexa tried to reason, although her own brain couldn't understand the weight of her words.

Clarke pulled back slightly. Her blue eyes searching brown ones before saying, "yuh-huh. I'll be with you." Clarke said it with such finality that Lexa wondered if it could be feasible.

"We can't run away," Lexa said, swallowing thickly and forcing herself to change the subject.

Clarke's grip on her shoulders tightened, a soft cry making it's way past Clarke's lips, and Lexa's resolve crumbled at the touch.

"Where would we go?" Lexa whispered.

"To the end of the world." Clarke burrowed herself even further against her best friend.

"We're only twelve," Lexa responded softly. "And maybe one day you're gonna wanna kiss a boy and you're gonna wanna come back and you're gonna be mad at me for taking you away."

"I don't care, I'm never gonna wanna kiss them," Clarke responded, petulantly. "I love you. You're my best friend. I'll love you til the end of the world."

"Me too," she whispered, leaning her head against her best friend's. She wasn't sure what she was agreeing to, but she knew she would always love Clarke.

"What?" Clarke questioned.

"I love you too. Til the end of the world, duh." Lexa smiled against Clarke's hair. The scent of lavender permeated her nose and the girl in her arms snuggled further into her as the fight and fear drained out of her.


	2. The Interim

"Lexa!" Clarke panted as she ran up the trail to the end if the world.

"What is it?" Lexa asked with an eye-roll, used to Clarke's dramatics by now.

"He's home! He's home!" She shouted, pulling Lexa by the sleeve with her. Lexa stood frozen in her spot at the end of the world.

"Jake?" She said, hesitating.

"Yeah! Come on! He's at home now!" She tugged again but Lexa still didn't budge.

Clarke turned back and saw her friend gaze wistfully out at the ocean.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Clarke said, previous smile slipping away as she moved closer to her best friend.

"Nothing. I'm just, I'm just gonna miss it here," she responded sadly.

Frowning, Clarke stood in front of her friend, cupping her cheeks with her hands and forcing her to make eye contact.

"What do you mean?" Clarke inquired, searching her friends brown eyes for an answer.

"Jake is back," Lexa whispered. "You're not gonna need me anymore. You're not gonna wanna come here with me anymore." Her voice trailed off as she fought down her tears.

Clarke's eyes widened at the answer, not expecting that response from her best friend.

"Lexa..." She murmured, rubbing her thumbs along her friends cheeks to catch any tears that fell. "This is our spot, Lexa. Yes, Daddy is back, but I love you til the end of the world. You can't get rid of me that easy," she teased as she wrapped her best friend in a strong hug. The two girls stood there at the end of the world, wrapped in one another.

"Come on!" Clarke pleaded again, "it's time to cash in on his promise for ice cream!"

***  
"So, I wanna talk to you about something," Clarke said casually as she perched on the cliff’s edge.

Her sundress blew in the soft breeze, and Lexa realized her eyes were lingering on the bare skin of her friends legs for longer than was probably appropriate. Snapping her eyes up to meet the inquisitive blue ones, Clarke smirked at her with a raised brow.

"Uhh, sure," Lexa cleared her throat, worrying she had been caught.

"Have you ever kissed anyone?"

The blush that spread over Lexa's face made Clarke giggle and blush as well.

She poked her friend in the ribs.

"No, why? Have you?" Lexa answered, rubbing her ribs.

Clarke's blush deepened as she averted her eyes from her best friend's.

"No. I mean, when we were twelve and Bellamy kissed me and I was so mad about it, but that doesn't count as real. And I told you then that I didn't wanna kiss anyone, but now I mean, I want to, but I don't know if they want me to. I mean, we're in high school and I guess it's normal to feel this way," she responded. "I mean, Dad said it's totally normal."

"Oh," Lexa said, her face frowning a little at the response. "Why don't you ask them?"

Clarke's head snapped up to hers as a moment of awkward silence lingered between the two girls.

Just as Clarke opened her mouth to respond, Lexa, misinterpreting the silence, snapped, "why don't you talk to Jake about this? Or your mom or something? I don't know anything about kissing boys."

"Have you wanted to? Kiss boys?" Clarke probed instead of raising to the bait of her friend's anger.

"No," came the curt reply.

"What if," Clarke chewed her lip as she thought about her next question. "What if I didn't wanna kiss a boy? What if I wanted to kiss a girl? Would you be mad? would it make you uncomfortable?"

Lexa's cheeks tinted pink before a flash of hurt and anger crossed her features. She stood abruptly, wiping her hands on her pants. "You can kiss whoever you want, Clarke. They'd be real lucky if you did. I just, I just don't wanna hear about it."

Before Clarke could say anything, Lexa was already stalking down the side of the hill.

Clarke dropped her head into her hands and let our an aggravated huff. "God damnit!" she cried out to the ocean below.

***

"Happy birthday, Lexa," Clarke whispered in her ear as she approached the girl looking over the end of the world.

"Ah! Shit!" Lexa yelped as the warm breath tickled her ear. The goosebumps that formed on her neck were purposefully ignored as her cheeks reddened at the close proximity.

Clarke straddled her lap and wrapped one arm around Lexa's neck, the other holding a small gift box in between them.

Lexa's throat became dry at the proximity, and she cleared her throat before averting her gaze from the pools of blue in front of her.

"I got you something, seeing as you're 17 and all."

Lexa rolled her eyes at her as Clarke adjusted herself to sit more comfortably on her lap.

She opened the box to see a thick gold bracelet with a ball dangling from the end. Upon further inspection, she realized the ball was in fact a globe, and the bracelet held a small inscription - 'I love you til the end of the world'.

Her eyes shot up to Clarke's, who was smiling bashfully at her, her cheeks a deep shade of red.

"It's nothing special, but I still mean what I said --"

"I love it. I love you," Lexa cut her off, squeezing her best friend with all her might and burying her head into her chest.

***

Lexa found her best friend sitting with her feet dangling off the cliff, her shoulders hunched, her black dress ruined.

"Hey," she whispered in an attempt to not startle the obviously broken girl.

"Hey," Clarke responded without looking up.

"The service was nice," Lexa said as she settled in beside her, instantly locking her fingers with Clarke's limp hand.

"Yeah," she responded with a hoarse voice. Her free hand tangled in the chain of her father's dog tags that were around her neck.

The two girls sat there, staring at the expanse of ocean in front of them. Jake was forced to go back. The fighting had just gotten worse, and since he wasn't injured, they said they needed him. He promised to come back soon, but now, he never would.

"You know," Lexa began, "you always have me, right? I love you, Clarke. I'm gonna always be here til the end of the world, like I promised. I know I haven't been at school much with Pa being sick and all, but I'll always wait right here for you if you need me. I'm never gonna leave you."

Clarke didn't respond. The weight of Lexa's hand in her own felt too heavy now. A tear fell down her cheek, and she pulled her hand out of Lexa's to wipe it away, the over-sized watch flopping down her arm. She pulled her knees into her chest, refusing to make eye contact with her best friend.

"Yeah," she said after a moment. "Thanks." Her voice was cold, distant. Lexa leaned her forehead on Clarke's shoulder and let out a shaky breath, trying and failing to stop the fear that this was the end of more than just one life they would be dealing with.

***

Clarke didn't show up to school or to their spot the next day. Or the day after.

Lexa waited at the end of the world even as the days stretched into months.


	3. The End

Clarke ran her fingers over the face of the watch. It was large. Too large. It felt like the entire weight of it had doubled.

Drops of moisture hit the face of the watch and broke her of her tormented thoughts of her father. She missed him so much. She loved him so much. She felt so lost now that he was gone. He left her.

At sixteen, Clarke didn't know how to handle this kind of pain. She only loved one other person this much, and the thought of something ever happening to them made her feel sick with panic.

Her dad was the one who always helped her make sense of her thoughts. He helped bridge the gap between her and her mother. He helped her make sense of her feelings for her best friend. Her best friend…. What was she supposed to do if she lost Lexa? The thought alone made her feel like she couldn't breathe. How was she supposed to live with that fear always sitting on her chest?   
After what felt like hours, Clarke came to the only realization that made any sense.  
The only way to save herself, and Lexa, was to remove any opportunity of losing the only other person in her life that she really loved.

She knew it was selfish, but she just couldn't see another answer. She couldn't look at Lexa without feeling the sick sense of dread that one day she was going to lose her too, and she didn't think she could live at all if that happened.

Clarke let out an audible sigh as she sat on the cliff, her feet dangling off the edge while the moon Shone off the water below.

She clenched the dog tags around her neck. She let the pain of his loss as well as the one she was about to feel wash over her.

***

Lexa sat on the rocks looking at the setting sun.

It had been three years since she and Clarke sat at the end of the world. The pain of missing her never went away, even when the burn of anger at tried to force itself to be felt, and yet, she couldn't break her promise.

She knew she should move on. She didn't even understand why she sat there waiting for her every day like a fool, waiting for a girl who didn't want to be around her anymore.  
Two years ago, Lexa met her in the hallway and Clarke walked away from her without a word.  
Two years ago, Lexa came to the end of the world and waited until the next sunrise for her best friend.  
Two years ago, the silence almost swallowed her whole.  
One year ago, Lexa dropped out of school to take over the farm while Pa slowly lost his strength.  
Two months ago, Clarke wished her condolences to Lexa as she watched her father's casket lower into the grave.

Lexa was so broken at that time, and the abandonment stung so deeply that she ignored the girl she loved as she stood there, clenching and unclenching her fists.  
The silence was deafening now.

Lexa huffed out a frustrated breath at the memory as the sun sank in the sky in front of her.

"What an I doing, Pa?" She shook her head. "How am I supposed to do this without you?" Her voice caught in her throat as she forced the tears back.

"I got no one now." Lexa whimpered. "I lost you, I lost Jake, I lost Clarke. What do I even have anymore?"

Her mind was reeling. She was completely, utterly alone in this world. She had no one. She had nothing.

She clenched her fists into the gravel around her, and screamed as she threw the pebbles out into the abyss below.

Finally, with a sardonic laugh, she stood and brushed off her pants.

"I guess it's the end of the world," she spoke, "I waited and she's not here."

***

Clarke stood behind the opening of the trees, completely captivated by Lexa taking in the setting sun. She was so, so in love with the way the sunlight highlighted her bronze skin, the way her calloused hands from working on the farm moved effortlessly over the pebbles as she was deep in thought.

Her heart broke as she heard Lexa's confession. She knew it wasn't meant for her to hear, but when she saw her sitting there she couldn't turn away.

What had she done?

She shifted her weight, her foot pressing down enough on a twig to snap it.

Lexa's head shot up toward the sound.

Clarke clenched her eyes and cursed herself.

"Hello?" Lexa called out.

Clarke sucked in a breath and stood from her crouched position, locking eyes with the girl she had always loved in any and all capacities there were.

She watched as Lexa recognized her, the mask of stoicism slipping into place as she stood there.

"Oh. I'm just leaving," she said.

"Wait," Clarke said as Lexa started moving toward the trail to go back home.

"Wait. Please, Lexa," Clarke called again.

Lexa clenched her fists, but stood still, her back still to Clarke.

"Please just -- just wait a second," Clarke begged, scrambling to find words to explain, apologize, beg… just say anything to the woman in front of her.

Lexa wheeled around, pinning Clarke with a look that could start a war.

"Wait? Wait?! Oh. That's rich. I've been waiting for you for years, Clarke. Waiting for you til the end of the fucking world!" She gestured to the space around them as a bitter, pained laugh escaped her lips.

Clarke recoiled, the pain behind Lexa's words enough to make her eyes water. She noticed the shaking of her best -- ex-best friends hands, the way her lips trembled. Her face was furious, cold; she ready to unleash her wrath, but her eyes shone with pain, heartbreak, longing. Her eyes gave away just how hurt she was.

Clarke swallowed as Lexa panted, clenching and unclenching her fists.

"I know," she whispered, her eyes locking onto the girl in front of her. "I know you've waited. I know I left you. I know I disappeared. I also know that I was wrong. And I'm sorry, Lexa. I'm so, so, sorry." Tears ran down her cheeks freely and she didn't bother to stop them. This was a long time coming.

"Sorry won't fix this," Lexa said, motioning between them. "You should have -- you should have been here! I lost Jake too, Clarke! And then I lost you! I know you were hurting, but so was I!" Lexa spat. "And now I lost my Pa and I got nobody," Lexa cried, her lip trembling.

"I know. I was selfish," Clarke admitted. "I was so, so selfish. I was wrong, Lexa."

"You left me," Lexa whispered, her voice cracking. "You left me all alone." Tears rolled down her cheeks and she did nothing to try to stop them as they splashed on the gravel below.

"And I'll never forgive myself for that. But, believe it or not, I did it because I loved you. I still love you til the end of the world, Lexa. I mean that." Clarke reached tentatively out to her, but Lexa stepped back, shaking her head.

"It is the end of the world, Clarke. I've got nothing. I've got nothing left. I can't give you anything."

"No," Clarke refused. She shook her head and stepped closer to Lexa once again. She refused to let her pull away.

"No, you don't mean that. Look me in the eye and tell me that it's over, Lexa. That this," she gestured between them, mimicking Lexa's prior actions, "that this is not something worth fighting for. I really messed up, I know I did. You've always been more than I've deserved, and it's taken me way too long to realize it, but I love you. I'm in love with you. Nothing makes sense without you. These past three years have meant nothing because you weren't there. This whole world is nothing without you. I told you I'm going to love you til the end of the world and I meant it. Without you, there is no world because you're my entire world. Please, Lexa," Clarke pleaded, the tears streaming down her face.

Lexa stood there for what felt like hours.

"I can't lose you again --" she breathed.

"You won't," was Clarke's hasty reply.

Lexa sighed and squeezed her eyes shut.

Lexa whispered. "I don't want to be alone anymore."

With shaking fingers, Clarke traced Lexa's jaw until they were playing with the soft hair at the nape of her neck.

"You're not alone. I'm sorry I made you think for one second that you were. I love you so much. I'm going to love you til the end of the world. I always have. I always will."

After a long sigh, and an even longer stare into familiar blue eyes, Lexa reached forward and wiped the tears from Clarke's face, resting her forehead against hers.

They stood motionless, breaths intermingling and eyes closed. Clarke's hands drew nonsensical patterns on the back of Lexa's neck while she fought to control her breathing.

Suddenly, Lexa cupped the back of Clarke's neck, pulling her into an unexpected kiss, and pulling back just as quickly.

It took less than a second for Clarke to respond. She pulled Lexa back in and kissed her softly, and if either of them tasted the salt of the other's tears or heard the sighs of relief they breathed, they didn't mention it.

"Til the end of the world?" Lexa nervously murmured as they broke apart, wiping the traces of tears from Clarke's face with her thumbs.

"Til the end of the world," Clarke confirmed with a smile before capturing Lexa's lips with her own again.

***

END


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